High speed folding apparatus with separated signature delivery



May 1, 1962 c. s. CRAFTS 3,032,335

HIGH SPEED FOLDING APPARATUS WITH SEPARATED SIGNATURE DELIVERY 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 7, 1960 cz gmg CATTOIQNEIY- May 1, 1962 c. s. CRAFTS 3,032,335

HIGH SPEED FOLDING APPARATUS WITH SEPARATE-D SIGNATURE DELIVERY 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 7, 1960 MV'EMTOM/ Cuvtl'J J l-{tJ vy $1M, l d v w May 1, 1962 c. s CRAFTS 3,032,335

HIGH SPEED FOLDING APPARATUS WITH SEPARATE-D SIGNATURE DELIVERY Filed March '7, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 93 89 MTTOWQBY/ May 1, 1962 C S CRAFTS HIGH SPEED FOLDING APPARATUS WITH SEPARATE-D SIGNATURE DELIVERY Filed March 7, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 3,032,335 HIGH SPEED FOLDlNG APPARATUS WITH SEPARATED SIGNATURE DELIVERY Curtis S. Crafts, Oak Park, 111., assignor to Miehle-Goss- Dexter, Incorporated, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Maryland Filed Mar. 7, 1960, Ser. No. 13,301

4 Claims. (Cl. 270-21) The invention relates in general to high speed printing and is more particularly concerned with apparatus for cutting printed Webs and forming them into folded signatures.

It is the general aim of the invention to provide an improved cutting and folding mechanism for producing double (transverse and longitudinal) folded signatures from printed webs coming from a print press at very high speeds.

An important object of the invention is to reduce progressively the traveling speeds of signatures as they are separated into groups and delivered to different points, thereby facilitating the use of slower units, such as chopper folders, to produce the final fold in the signatures.

It is a further object to provide such progressive slowdown of signatures in an arrangement which permits all rotating cylinders of the apparatus to be driven at the same angular speed.

Still another object is to separate the signatures received by a distributing cylinder and send alternate ones toward different delivery points through a novel arrangement of plural gripper means spaced about the cylinder and actuated to pick up signatures at a common angular point but to release them at different angular points.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the following description proceeds, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a rotary press equipped with folding apparatus embodying the features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective illustration showing an exemplary arrangement of plates on a printing cylinder;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic end elevation of the folder employed in the press of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective showing the assembly of superimposed slit webs as it passes into the folding apparatus;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective illustrations of signatures after first and second folds made transversely and longitudinally, respectively, by the present apparatus;

FIGS. 7, 3, 9 and 10 show diagrammatically the organization and operation of the folding apparatus, and respectively correspond to stop-motion views taken as the cylinders in such apparatus turn through four successive 90 angles;

FIG. 11 is a detail view taken substantially along line 11-11 in FIG. 7 and illustrating the location of cam means for actuating pins, jaws, and grippers;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are generally similar to FIGS. 8 and 9, but illustrate a modified embodiment of the invention.

While the invention has been shown and will be described in some detail with reference to particular embodiments thereof, there is no intention that it thus be limited to such detail. On the contrary, it is intended here to cover all modifications, alterations, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

The rotary press of FIG. 1 has two printing units 15 and 16 which receive wide paper webs 18 and 19 from supply rolls (not shown). The webs 18 and 19 which move, for example, at speeds up to 1500 feet per minute, are passed over appropriate guide rolls to first printing couples made up of plate cylinders 20, 21 and impression cylinders 22, 23. These first couples print on one side of the webs 18 and 19 respectively, and the latter then pass to second printing couples made up of plate cylinders 24, 25 and impression cylinders 26, 27. These latter couples print on the opposite side of the paper webs.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, each of the printing cylinders, such as the printing cylinder 20, carries plates which are arranged to print a number of pages for a book, magazine, or the like. In the present example, the plate cylinder 20 carries type for six pages across and four pages around. It will, therefore, print twenty-four pages of the intended book on one side of the web 18 during each revolution of that cylinder.

The two webs 18 and 19 are led, after printing in the units 15 and 16, to a slitter and angle bar devices disposed above a folding and delivery apparatus 32. The device 30 slits the webs 18 and 19 into strips which are two pages in width, and disposes these strips in overlying or superimposed relation. Since each of the printed webs '18 and 19 provides, after slitting, three strips two pages in width, a total of six superimposed webs form the web assembly 60 which runs downwardly from the device 30 to the folding apparatus 32. This web assembly is illustrated in FIG. 4 passing through nipping rolls 33 on its way to the folding apparatus 32.

As viewed in FIG. 3, the nipping rolls 33 through which the superimposed printed webs pass are disposed immediately above a pair of first cylinders 34, 35. These first cylinders cut the webs into signature lengths, andfold each such signature along a line transverse to its direction of movement. as will be explained more fully below. Moreover, means are provided, and will be described in greater detail, to transfer alternate ones ofsuch transversely folded signatures from the first cylinders 34, 35 to two distributing cylinders 36, 37 which are disposed adjacent the respective ones of the first cylinders. The

distributing cylinders 36, 37 are provided with means to transfer alternate ones of the signatures which they receive to respective ones of two transfer cylinders 38, 39

and 40, 41 which are adjacent such distributing cylinders. The transfer cylinders 38-41, in turn, are associated with means to deliver the signatures which they receive to respective folding devices 42, 43, 44 and 45 which produce longitudinal folds in the signature.

Referring to FIG. 7, the cylinders 34 and 35 are rotatably driven from the press by means (not shown) which make them have a peripheral speed equal to the linear speed of the web assembly which is passed therebetween. Provision is made to cut the web assembly 60 into successive two page lengths and to fold such lengths transversely in the middle to form signatures like that illustrated in H8. 5. Moreover, means are employed to transfer alternate ones of such signatures to the distributing cylinders 36 and 37.

To accomplish the foregoing, the first cylinders 34 and 35 are provided with four pairs of cutting elements and four pairs of folding elements, these elements being spaced about the peripheries of the cylinders so as to act alternately. As here shown, the four pairs of cutting elements include cutting knives 51a, 53a and 54a, 52:: which are disposed respectively on the cylinders 35 and 34. These knives fit into and cooperate with blocks 51b, 53b and 54b, 52b which are respectively disposed on the cylinders 34 and 35. Thus, during each revolution of the cylinders 34 and 35 four cutting operations occur so that the web assembly 66 is cut into four successive lengths or signatures. The alternate signatures cut from the assembled webs may bedesignated A and B so that during each revolution of the cylinders 34, 35 four successive signatures A, B, A, B are cut from the web. assemblya Such four signatures are made up from pages printed during two revolutions of the printing cylinders, as described above.

Associated with each of the pairs of cutting elements are holding pins. 510, 52c, 53c and 540. Before the cutting elements 54a and 5 4b act to sever a signature from the web as illustrated in FIG. 7, the pins 540 pass through the Web assembly 60, impaling it and holding the free end on the cylinder 35 until just before the web is folded into the jaws 55b on cylinder 34 and cut again to form the nextsignature.

Toper-form the foldingoperation on the foursuccessive signatures cut from the web assembly 60 during each revolution of the cylinders 34, 35 four folding means are spaced peripherally of the cylinder and intermediate the cutting means. As here illustrated, two tucker blades 56a and 58a are carried by the cylinder 34, and two tucker blades 55a and 57a are carried by the cylinder 35.. These tucker blades are so located as to enter and cooperate with folding jaws 56b, 58b and 55b, 5711 which are disposed on the respectively opposite cylinders 35 and 34. The freshly cut ends of the associated webs 60 are held by the pins associated with one set of cutter elements while the cylinders 34, 35 rotate to a position in which the tucker blade of the next set of folding elements will force the center of the signature into the open jaws on the other cylinder. The pins are retracted to release the freshly cut end and the jaws then close, putting a transverse fold into the web assembly. As the cylinders continue to rotate, the web assembly will again be cut by the next set of 'cutting'elernents, and the signature will be carried around the cylinder is illustrated by the B signature in the jaws 58b in FIG. 7.

The sequence of operation, then, for the elements on the first cylinders 34 and 35 may be summarized as follows. Before the cutter 54a severs the trailing end of the B signature, the pins 540 will be projected outwardly to impale the associated webs and control the free end of the assembly 63 (FIG. 7.). As the cylinders 34, 35 rotate through 45 from the position of FIG. 7, the pins 540 will retract, the tucker blade 55a will force the associated webs into the open jaws 55b and the jaws 5512 will then close to fold the associated webs. As the cylinders rotate another 90 from the position of FIG. 7 to the position illustrated in FIG. 8, the knife 51a will sever the web assembly, so that an A signature is now carried entirely by the folding jaws 55b,.-its opposite end having been released from the pins 540. Thus, as shownin FIG. 8, the first signature A is being carried by the jaws 55b towards the distributing cylinder 36.

Prior to the operation of the cutting elements 51a, 51b as shown in FIG. 8, the web assembly 60 is impaled on the pins 510 and thus carried downwardly on the surface of the cylinder 34. When the cylinders have rotated 45 from the position illustrated in FIG. 8, the tucker blade 56a folds the web assembly into the open jaws 56b. As the cylinders rotate another 45 to theposition illustrated in FIG. 9, the knife 52a engages the block 5217 to sever the associated webs and form the second signature B, which is'held in the jaws 56b.

Prior to severing the second or B signature, the pins 520 enter the web assembly 63 (FIG. 9) so that the free end will be carried downwardly on the surface of the cylinder 35. When the cylinders 34, 35 rotate through another 45 from the position illustrated in FIG. 9, the tucker blade 57a will enter the opened jaws 57b, and the latter will close to fold and hold the third signature A. As the cylinders rotate another 45 to the position illustrated in FIG. 10, the cutterknife 53a will sever the third signature A from the web assembly 63, so that such signature will be carried toward the distributing cylinder 36.

The severing action illustrated in FIG. 10 leaves the leading end of the web assembly 6% impaled on the pins 53c, so that this free end now travels downwardly on the surface of the cylinder 34. As the cylinder rotates through another 45 from the position illustrated in FIG. 10, the tucker blade 58a will tuck the associated webs into the open jaws 58b which will then close to transversely fold the web assembly, and the latter will be severed after the cylinders rotate through another 45 to the position illustrated in FIG. 7 by operation of the knife 54a. This results in a fourth signature B being held by the folding jaws 58b and carried toward the distributing cylinder 37.

The foregoing illustrates how four successive signatures are cut and transversely folded during each revolution of the cylinders 34 and 35. By alternating the elements of the folding and cutting means so that the folding jaws for alternate signatures are on different ones of the cylinders 34 and 35, the cylinders are made to transfer alternate signatures toward the respective distributing cylinders 36 and 37. Thus out of each set of four signatures, the two signatures A are carried by jaws 55b and 57b, respectively, toward the distributing cylinder 36. In like manner, the two signatures B are carried by the jaws 56b and 5812, respectively, toward the distributing cylinder 37.

The manner in which folding jaws may be automatically opened and closed as their cylinders rotate through predetermined angular positions is well known in the art. Similarly, mechanism for projecting and retracting the impaling pins is well known. However, in an arrangement such as that illustrated by FIGS. 7-l0, it is necessary that the folding jaws on each cylinder 34 or 35 be actuated at different peripheral locations than the impaling pins. So, as shown in FIG. 11, means are provided to actuate the folding jaws 55b and 571) on the cylinder 34 at different angular locations than those at which the impaling pins 510 and 530 are actuated. As here shown, a box cam 64 is carried by theframe member 65 and engaged by cam followers 66, 67 mounted on shafts 63, 69. As the cylinder 34 rotates through one revolution, the followers 66, 67 in riding on the interior surface of the box cam 64 cause the jaws 55b and 57b (FIG. 7) to be closedjust as they pass thepoint of closest approach to the cylinder 35 (to grasp the fold tucked in by the cooperating blades 55:: and 57a), and to be reopened just as they approach the cooperating distributing cylinder 36 (so that the folded products can be removed from the cylinder 34,). In like manner, a box cam 76 is carried on the frame 71 journaling the opposite end of the cylinder 34 and receives therein cam followers 72, 73 mounted on shafts journaled in the cylinder 34- and arranged to actuate the pins 510 and 530 (FIG. 7). The box cam 70 is so shaped that the pins 510 and 530 are extended just before the knives associated therewith sever the web assembly 60 (see FIG. 8), and so that they are retracted after approximately 45 of travel.

The distributing cylinders 36 and 37 perform two functions. They take alternate ones of the signatures produced by the cylinders 34, 35 and split them into two groups which are released at four respective points. They also reduce the linear speed at which the signatures move, so that the signatures will be fed to transfer cylinders and then to the longitudinal folders at the four delivery points at approximately half the printing speed.

In order to slow down the signatures coming from the cylinders 34, 35, means are provided to drive the distributing cylinders 36 and 37 at a peripheral speed less than that of, the first cylinders 34, 35. In this instance the cylinders 36, 37 are made smaller in diameter than the first cylinders 34, 35 and are driven at the same angular speed as the cylinders'34, 35 by any suitable means (not shown) well known to those skilled in the art.

In order to receive and distribute each of the signatures completed on the cylinder 34, the distributing cylinder 3-6 has two sets of grippers 75, 76 diametrically spaced thereon. In like manner, the distributing cylinder 37 has diametrically opposite grippers 77 and 78. 'The cylinder 36 isso phased in its angular rotation that the gripper 76 cooperates with the folding jaws 57b, and the gripper 75 cooperates with the folding jaw 55b during each revolution. Likewise, the grippers 77 and 78 on cylinder 37 cooperate with the jaws 58b and 56b on the first cylinder 35.

These grippers on distributing cylinders are actuated so that they close at the proper moment to grip a signature released from one of the folding jaws. Each set of grippers is opened at a unique delivery point. For example, the grippers 76 are open as they approach the jaws 57b and close when in the position illustrated by FIG. 7 to grip and transfer a signature after it is released by the jaws 57b. The grippers 76 then open as they approach the point of tangency with transfer cylinder 39, so that they release the signature which they held to a set of grippers 80 on the transfer cylinder 39. The grippers 75 close so as to grip a folded signature which had been held by the jaws 55b, and then open so that a signature held in the grippers 75 is released to grippers 81 carried on the transfer cylinder 38. While the two signatures A are transferred from the cylinder 34 to the distributing cylinder 36, alternate signatures are transferred to respective ones of the transfer cylinders 38, 39. Specifically, the transfer cylinder 38 receives one A signature and the transfer cylinder 39 receives the alternate A signature.

It will be noted from the foregoing that the grippers 75 and 76 on the distributing cylinder 36 are not actuated identically. Rather, the grippers 75 and 76 are closed' at the same angular locations relative to the axis of the cylinder 36, but are respectively opened as they approach the transfer cylinders 38 and 33. In order to differently actuate the grippers 75 and 76, the gripper actuating mechanism includes two box cams 84, 85 disposed at opposite ends of the cylinder 36 and mounted on the machine frame members 65 and 71 (FIG. 11). The cams 84, 85 are respectively engaged by followers 86, 87 which serve to produce the opening and closing movements of the grippers. The box cams 84 and 85 at opposite ends of the cylinder 36 thus individually control the opening and closing of the grippers 75 and 76. The grippers 77 and 78 for the distributing cylinder 37 are likewise controlled by individual box cams (not shown).

The transfer cylinders 38-41 also perform two functions. Each one serves to receive alternate ones of the signatures held on the associated distributing cylinder, and serves further to reduce the velocity at which the signatures move.

To accomplish such velocity reduction, provision is made to drive the transfer cylinders 38-41 with a pcripheral speed slower than that of the distributing cylinders 36 and 37. In the present instance, the four transfer cylinders 38-41 are smaller in diameter than the associated distributing cylinders, and are driven at the same rotational speed by means which are well known and which need not be illustrated.

Each of the transfer cylinders 38-41 has one set of transfer means or grippers 80, 81, 82 and 83, respectively. The gripper 80 and 81 on the two transfer cylinders 38 and 39 associated with the distributing cylinder 36 are so phased as to cooperate with the grippers 76 and 75, respectively, thereby receiving the alternate A signatures. Likewise, the grippers 82 and 83 on the cylinders 40 and 41 are angularly phased as to cooperate with the grippers 78 and 77 on the cylinder 37, thereby transferring the alternate B signatures to separate points.

The grippers 80-83 on the transfer cylinders 38-41 are all arranged to close on signatures supplied by the cooperating grippers on the distributing cylinders, and to open as they pass respective delivery rolls 88-51 which take the signatures and send them through paired drive rollers 92-95 to the respective chopper folders 42-45. Timing pulleys may be employed at appropriate locations as shown to assist in the transfer of signatures from one cylinder to another.

The transverse folding devices or chopper folders 42-45 have not been illustrated in detail in the present drawings, since their construction and operation are well known to those skilled in the art. It is sufficient here to note only that the chopper folders receive each transversely folded signature and engage it with a chopping blade which produces a longitudinal fold in the signature, so that the final product is double folded as shown by the signature of FIG. 6. Such chopper folders are limited in their practical operating speed to about 200 strokes per minute, and thus one such folder could not handle the entire output of a high speed press producing, as in the present example, about 800 signatures per minute. The final products delivered out of the four chopper folders 42-45 in the present example are double folded signatures each containing forty-eight printed pages, inasmuch as the web assembly 6% fed to the folding apparatus in the present instance includes six superimposed webs.

It will be appreciated that with the present arrangement all of the A signatures will contain the same printed subject matter, and all of the B signatures will contain the same printed subject matter. The A and B signatures may, however, contain different subject matter. Indeed, the A and B signatures may be intended for use in different books or pamphlets. If the press (FIG. 1) carries plate cylinders which print four signatures per revolution (instead of two as previously described) then the signatures delivered at each of the four folders 42-45 may have different printed contents.

Under these circumstances, there will be successive sets of four signatures A, B, C, D in the web assembly 60. The signatures A and C will be delivered to the distributing cylinder 36 on the left, and the signatures B and D will be delivered to the distributing cylinder 37 on the right. Thereafter, A signatures will pass to the folder 42 and the C signatures to the folder 43, while the B and D signatures pass respectively to the folders 44 and 45. This operation of folding and separating four different signatures has been indicated in FIG. 7 by the parenthetical characters C and D adjacent the folders 43 and 45, respectively. The present folding and cutting apparatus thus accommodates successive sets of plural signatures having different content or subject matter, cuts and folds those signatures while delivering them at separate locations. The'individual chopper folders need handle but one-fourth the output of the press, so that a total of about eight hundred signatures per minute are produced by four chopper folders working at about two hundred strokes per minute.

Moreover, the present cutting and folding arrangement is advantageous since the first pair of cylinders 34, 35 and the distributing cylinders 36, 37 as well as the transfer cylinders 38-41 may all be driven at the same rotational speed. But, because the cylinders 36 and 37 are smaller in diameter than the cylinders 34 and 35, slow-down in the velocity of the signatures occurs as an incident to transfer from the first cylinders to the distributing cylinders. Likewise, because the transfer cylinders 38-41 are smaller in diameter than the distributing cylinders 36, 37, further slow-down in the velocity of the signatures occurs as an incident to the transfer to cylinders 38-41. Thus, even though the web assembly 60 may be entering the folding apparatus at a very high linear velocity (e.g., 1500 feet per minute), the individual signatures are moving relatively slowly (e.g., 800 feet per minute) by the time they pass through the drive rolls 92-95 to the respective chopper folders 42-45. This slowing down in velocity eliminates destructive impacts as the signatures are brought to a halt in the chopper folders.

Merely by way of example, if the cylinders 34 and 35 are given a diameter of 2.9 inches and the web assembly 60 enters therebetween at a speed of 1500 feet per minute, the speed of the signatures produced by the first cylinders 34 and 35 may be slowed down to a value of 1150 feet per minute by making the distributing cylinders 36, 37 have a diameter of 22% inches. Moreover, the speed of signatures entering the chopper folders 42-45 is reduced to a speed of 800 feet per minute by making the transfer cylinders 38-41 have a diameter of 15% inches. Thus, the arrangement here described not only separates the successive signatures cut from a web assembly 60, but it also reduces their velocity so that they can be safetly fed to and folded in the chopper folders. The four chopper folders need to operate through but one stroke for each revolution of the first cylinders 34, 35 even though the latter produce four signatures per revolution. In the present example, the four chopper folders each operate at approximately 200 strokes per minute.

in the modified arrangement of FIGS. 12 and 13, first cylinders 100, 101 are adapted to receive the web assembly 60 therebetween, to cut and transversely fold signatures, and to deliver alternate ones thereof to distributing cylinders 36 and 37. The distributing cylinders 36 and 37 deliver alternate ones of the signatures which they receive to transfer cylinders 38, 39 and 40, 41. These transfer cylinders, in turn, deliver signatures to chopper folders 42-45. Thus, the arrangement of FIGS. 12 and 13 is identical to the arrangement of FIGS. 7-10 insofar as the distributing and transfer cylinders are concerned.

It will be observed, however, that the cylinders 104) and 101 in FIG. 12 are of relatively small diameter, and together having only two sets of cutting and folding means thereon. Thus, a tucker blade 102a on cylinder 101 cooperates with folding jaws 10212 on cylinder Likewise, a tucker blade 103a cooperates with folding jaws 103b, the two being respectively carried by the cylinders 1th? and 101, A cooperating knife 104a and block 1114b are respectively disposed on cylinders 1% and 101, while a knife 105a on the cylinder 161 cooperates with a block 1651) on the cylinder 160. Associated with the blocks 1041b and 1fi5bare pins 1M0 and 105a.

The cylinders 19%) and fill, therefore, arearranged to .cut and transverselyfold two signatures for each revolution thereof. That is, the knife 1M0 will sever the trailing .end .of a signature previously tucked into the jaws 103k by the blade 103a, so that such signature will be delivered to the grippers 78 on the cylinder 37. The next signature will be cut from the web assembly 69 by the knife 165a after the assembly has been tucked into the jaws Hill: by the tucker blade 1il2a. The jaws lfiZb will release this signature to the grippers 76 on the cylinder 36.

To afford successful operation of the smaller cylinders 109 and 161, the latter are driven at twice the rotational speed of the distributing cylinders 36 and 37. This may be accomplished by choice of the ratios of gears (not shown) which rotationally drive the several cylinders. During one complete revolution of the transfer cylinder 36, the folding jaws 1021; will first release asignature to the grippers 76, and then release a signature to the grippers 75. In like manner, during one rotation of the distributing cylinder 37, the first cylinder 151 will make two revolutions, and the folding jaws 103% will first release a signature to the grippers 73 and then release a signature to the grippers 77. Thus, the first cylinders 100, 101 in rotating at twice the speed .of the distributing cylinders 36 and 37 release four successive signatures dur- .ing each two revolutions. These four successive signatures are, however, released alternately to the distributing cylinders 36 and 37, and the latter split the signatures which they receive into two groups released alternately to the respective pairs of transfer cylinders 38, 39, and 40, 41. There is not only separation of the individual ones of the signatures in successive sets, but there is also a progressive slowing down of the velocity of such signatures. The peripheral speed of the distributing cylinders 36 and 37 is considerably less than that of the first cylinders 101 and 160, by virtue of the fact that the distributing cylinders are driven at one-half the speed of the cylinders Hill, 101 and are considerably larger in diameter. .Moreover, thedistributing cylinders 36 and 37 are driven at the same rotational speed as the transfer cylinders 38-41, so that the peripheral speed of the latter is less than the peripheral speed of the distributing cylinders. Thus, the operation of the modification shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 is substantially the same as the operation of the first-described embodiment and the same advantages are achieved.

I claim as my. invention:

1. In folding apparatus, the combination comprisinga pair of first cylinders rotatably driven at a first peripheral speed and receiving a running web assembly therebetween, said first cylinders having means thereon to cut and transversely fold said webs into successive signatures, two distributing cylinders each adjacent a corresponding one of said first cylinders and rotatably driven at a second peripheral speed which is less than said first peripheral speed, two gripping means spaced circumferentially on each of said distributing cylinders, means for transferring alternate ones of the folded signatures produced by said first cylinders to respective ones of said distributing cylinders, said last-named means including means for transferring alternate ones of the signatures received by each distributing cylinder into respective ones of said two gripping means on that cylinder, two pairs of transfer cylinders each adjacent a corresponding one of said distributing cylinders and rotatably driven at a third peripheral speed less than said second peripheral speed, means for transferring to each of said transfer cylinders the signatures held by a corresponding one of said gripping means on the associated distributing cylinder, and means for delivering the signatures from each of said transfer cylinders to a separate delivery location.

2. In folding apparatus, the combination comprising a pair of first cylinders adapted to receive a running web assembly therebetween, four sets of cutting means and four sets of folding means alternately spaced around said first cylinders to produce four transversely folded signatures per revolution, said folding means including jaws for foldingandholding alternate signatures on respective ones of the .first cylinders while the latter rotate through a portion of each revolution, two distributing cylinders respectively disposed adjacent to but being smaller in diameter than said first cylinders, two gripping means spaced around each of said distributing cyl inders to receive two signatures from the adjacent first cylinder during each revolution of the distributing cylinder, two transfer cylinders disposed adjacent each of said distributing cylinders and being smaller in diameter than the latter, gripping means on each of said transfer cylinders for receiving one signature from the adjacent dis tributing cylinder during each revolution, four longitudinal folders, means for transferring signatures from said transfer cylinders to respective ones of said folders, and means for driving all of said cylinders at the same angular speed and for driving all of said folders through one cycle for each revolution of said cylinders.

3. In folding apparatus, the combination comprising a pair of first cylinders adapted to receive a running web assembly therebetween, tWo sets of cutting means and two sets of folding means alternately spaced around said first cylinders to produce two transversely folded signatures per revolution, said folding means including one set of jaws on each first cylinder for folding and holding alters nate signatures on respective ones of the first cylinders, while the latter rotate through a portion of each revolution, two distributing cylinders respectively disposed adjacent to but being larger in diameter than said first cylinders, two gripping means. spaced diametrically around each of said distributing cylinders to receive two signatures from the adjacent firstcylinder during each revolution of the distributing cylinder, two transfer cylinders disposed adjacent each of said distributing cylinders and being smaller in diameter than the latter, gripping means on each of said transfer cylinders for receiving onev signature from the adjacent distributing cylinder during each revolution of the transfer cylinder,

four longitudinal folders, means for transferring signatures from said transfer cylinders to respective ones of said folders, means for rotatably driving all of said cylinders with said distributing and transfer cylinders having the same angular speed and said first cylinders having an angular speed twice that of said distributing cylinders, and means for driving said folders through one cycle for each revolution of said transfer cylinders.

4. In folding apparatus, the combination comprising a pair of first cylinders receiving a running web assembly therebetween, each of said first cylinders having cutting means including holding pins and transverse folding means including jaws thereon, means at the opposite ends of each of said first cylinders for respectively actuating and releasing said pins and jaws as that cylinder rotates through each revolution, two distributing cylinders each adjacent one of said first cylinders, two grippers spaced about the periphery of each of said distributing cylinders, means at the opposite ends of each of said distributing cylinders for respectively actuating and releasing said two grippers on that cylinder, means for transferring alternate ones of the folded signatures produced by said first cylinders to respective ones of said distributing cylinders with alternate ones of such signatures received by a given distributing cylinder being held respectively by the two grippers thereon, two pairs of transfer cylinders, the transfer cylinders of each of said pairs being adjacent a corresponding one of said distributing cylinders, means for transferring the signatures held in the two grippers on each said distributing cylinder to respective ones of the adjacent transfer cylinders, and means for delivering the signatures from each of said transfer cylinders to a separate delivery location.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,211,046 Barber Aug. 13, 1940 2,353,445 Crafts July 11, 1944 2,511,149 Crafts June 13, 1950 2,840,376 Harless June 24, 1958 

